Lord of Darkness
Chapter Three
Swirls of Light and Darkness
________________
Third part of Lord of Darkness.
To usagirl: Yes, there will be other senshi involvement, all inners.
Rei makes a reappearance in Chapter 4, Makoto shows up in this Chapter,
and Ami will also appear in Chapter 3. Serenity will come in
somewhere about Chapter 5 or 6, maybe earlier if I get at least ten
requests.
To Misa Doychilla: Huh, I really like your idea, but I was thinking
of Serenity being Endymion's older sister, with the pairings
Endymion/Setsuna and Serenity/Demando. Somehow I can't image
Endymion and Serenity being married; they'd probably kill each
other or talk themselves mad. But maybe I'll change my original
idea if I get enough requests.
I didn't make up the Sailor Senshis, yada yada yada.
I need another editor. If you have the time and would
like to help me, please e-mail me at katrina91362@yahoo.com.
It can never hurt to have more than one editor (oh, and
by the way, _I_ decide whether you're qualified or not, not
_You_.) Probation time is three months. And if you start your
e-mail with any pompous statements like "I'm the best editor
in the world and you'd be fool to pick anybody else ...",
you're automatically out.
Another thank-you to Ari-chan, for proofreading this one
(She must be drowning under all the reading I'm having her
do).
A little clarification for the story:
The difference between a mistress and a sex slave is that
a mistress may refuse to sleep with the man, and is fully
entitled to her rights of holding property and others like
it. But a sex slave is like a whore who sleeps with the man
for free. She is reliable to get whipped, beaten, even killed
if she displeases the master. She has no right to say no,
no right to refuse the man any service he might demand in
relation to his bodily pleasure.
// - flashbacks
________________
Lord of Darkness
Chapter Three
Swirls of Light and Darkness
________________
Previous:
***************
After walking numerous winding stairs that made Minako
dizzy just thinking about them, the guards opened a wide marble
door embedded with the sign of the golden phoenix. They ushered
her inside and Minako let out a gasp, words like lovely springing
immediately into her mind.
***************
The entire room was decorated in gold, cream, and crystal,
the colors reflecting the brilliant sky, almost like living in
the sunlight. Minako immediately fell in love with the room
(though not the owner of it). A connecting door led to a clean
privy decked in marble-tiles. Framed pictures of the most unusual
settings were scattered around the room. She edged a bit closer
to one, an image of a lean leopard in full run, his eyes staring
straight ahead, his paws not even touching the ground. She stared
at it hard, surprised to almost feel the hot desert heat, the
lust of hunt, and the breeze. She felt connected to it, falling
deeper and deeper into the meaning of picture. Rudely tearing herself
away, she continued to inspect the room. Expensive furniture were
tastefully scattered across the room, and a large wardrobe spanned across
an entire side of the wall. She wondered briefly just how many sets
of clothing it held. But what caught her attention longest
was the huge redwood bed in the center of the room, adorned with
black satin sheet and blood-red pillows. It was like a piece of hell-fire
amidst the angels, and her brain comprehended that she would be more
than just a mistress; she was to be his sex slave.
Minako felt her whole body go rigid. There was no way
that she would let him use her like this or even own her body,
for that would be one step closer to her soul, something she'd
vowed to have all to herself. A gentle click indicated that the
guards had left, locking the door behind them. Her eyes swept over
the room, her agile mind searching for a escape route and
sorting through matters of her heart at the same time. She
admitted bluntly to herself that should Kunzite wish to take
her, she would gladly go to him, unless he restrained himself.
She would willingly let herself follow wherever he should lead;
whatever he'd want, she would gladly give.
Windows and doors were carefully checked with a single
glance, and she could immediately tell that they were all
locked by at least two different locks, and some were also magically
locked. Others shimmered blue and green, and Minako recognized the
spell protecting the locks from being picked.
She furrowed her brow, having seized her dilemma up in
less than five seconds. She could not escape now. There were too
many guards, maids, servants, not to mention the Dark Lord and his
king and friends. They'd probably slaughter her before she even
reached the palace doors. Minako shuddered slightly as a mental
picture of herself beaten, bruised, covered with numerous dripping
wounds and countless whiplashes, staggering across the grounds, her
clothes in tatters, flashed across her mind's eye. She'd have to
wait for the cover of the darkness. She thought of Rei, and what
the raven-haired girl would do in this situation. A shadow of a
smile flashed across her lips. Rei would rant and scream and yell,
scaring off anybody who'd dare to come within a hundred feet
radius of her. She'd furiously deny the way she'd felt, condemning
the Dark Lord as the vilest creature ever walking the earth, and
burn him alive if he ever tried to take her. Minako smiled fondly,
shaking her head: that girl had a temper that would put the flames
of hell to shame.
She took a step towards the privy, where she suspected the
bath was, but immediately whirled when the door behind her creaked
open, expecting the guards. Instead, it was two young women dressed
in amber-and orange-colored clothing, each with a bracelet of a
golden and silver phoenix. She watched them curiously, surprised as
they bowed.
"Miss, we're here by the order of Lord Kunzite to prepare
you for dinner tonight."
The two women said together, bowing again. The petite
brunette with a short ponytail and keen grey eyes stepped forward,
one glance surveying Minako.
"I am Tomoko Kimoru, ready to serve my Lady."
The other woman was a pretty red-head with liquid brown
eyes that gazed at the Princess curiously.
"And I am Narumino Miko, ready to do your will."
Minako hurried forward, uncomfortable with people addressing
her like this.
"Please, stand up."
The two women exchanged a bewildered look, before standing up.
Minako stared at them, silently. Both of them were exceptionally
sweet and trusting, judging by their outward appearance, but from
the look in their eyes when they had greeted her, both women were
far from being innocent about the 'real' world. If she ever hoped
to leave this place alive, she'd had to know what had be going on, and
the best source of information she had at the moment would be the
maids.
"Would you be so kind to help me bath?"
Tomoko walked forward to lead Minako to the bathroom, and Narumino
took a step toward the closet, when a loud, high-pitched voice made both of
the maids wince and Minako jump.
"Tomoko, Narumino, where the hell is the tea? And isn't Lord Kunzite
supposed to be... Who is she?"
Minako slowly turned to see a woman standing on the doorstep of one
of the doors that led out of this room. The woman was voluptuous and with
gleaming chestnut hair and ice blue eyes. The Princess watched the woman's
mouth turn up into a one-sided smirk.
"Well, well. I suppose you're his new slave, huh? Let me warn you,
little girl, he likes to play rough. If you don't satisfy him..."
Narumino interrupted her, her big liquid eyes brimming with loathing
and also a slight touch of fear, but her voice was cold.
"I believe Lord Kunzite send a message yesterday to you to leave his
room, Lady Cordalia?"
The woman shot the maid a murderous look, anger clearly in her face. She
walked briskly toward Narumino, her hand raised.
"Why you little slut..."
Her hand flew toward Narumino like a striking serpent, but Minako turned,
and caught her wrist a millimeter from Narumino's cheek. Lady Cordalia turned to
her, an expression of pure hatred painted on her lovely face. The two maids watched
this exchange with baited breath as Minako and Cordalia had a quick duel of wills.
Minako tightened her grip on the other lady's wrist, knowing that if she pressed
any harder, the bone would break. Lady Cordalia bit her lip, stopping herself from
crying out. The main door opening broke their contact, and Minako turned to see the
blond-haired general from before in the door. She tensed her body, vividly recalling
the image of him hitting Rei. He, however, ignored her, choosing to address Cordalia
instead.
"Lady Cordalia, Lord Kunzite has already transported most of your belongings
to the Eagle Wing, number 76. You're to stay there from now on, unless he desires
your presence."
Minako noted with interest the color draining from the woman's face, but
quickly clapped her hands over her ears as panic filled Cordalia's voice, giving
it an unnatural pitch as she started shrieking.
"You cannot do that, you simply cannot to that! I'm his hand-picked
favorite mistress! You can't put me in the same place with all those common
whores!"
Despite Minako's best attempts in shutting out the shouting woman's
voice, she could hear every word, and understood that the Eagle Wing
contained, among other things, a place for Kunzite's past mistresses.
Jadeite rolled his eyes heavenward, and yelled in a voice even louder than
Cordalia's.
"Guards!"
Three guards in white and silver uniforms rushed into the room, and
forcibly removed Cordalia's presence, and the remaining four people in the
room breathed a sigh of relief. Jadeite tipped his head in greeting, then
calmly shut the door as if this was as normal as asking a servant to remove
a piece of furniture from the room. Minako smiled darkly. This was what she
was to be, wasn't a it? A toy for the Dark Lord. She turned to Narumino, shaking
herself out of her black musings.
"Miss, did she hurt you?"
The red-head looked utterly shocked at being addressed like this, and
a look of awe seemed to be permanently etched on her face.
"No, my lady. Thank you for helping me. That old witch has slapped me
and Tomoko often just for the spite of it."
The other girl's voice ran sharply across the room.
"Narumino! You shouldn't speak of your Lord's favorite mistress like
that! Even if you don't like her, be more civil to her for Lord Kunzite's sake.
Don't forget, he protected you from being raped at the age of 14. You've served
him for five years, yet you still don't know how to keep a leash on your tongue."
Minako quickly tried to pacify Tomoko, reminding them that she still
needed to bath. The two women lead her to the filled bathtub, and a colorful
variety of stories of events inside these walls poured onto Minako's attentive
ear as Tomoko and Narumino chattered.
***********************************
Kunzite leaned back, letting the warm water wash over him, as he
replayed the earlier scene with his King over and over in his mind.
//
"I love her. If my King would allow, I would wish to marry her."
//
Did he really love her? Was there enough humanity left in him to
love anyone? Admiration, lust, he was familiar with those emotions, but
love? He shook his head, trying to analyze each feeling separately. Minako
was, doubtlessly, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, a true child
of Venus. A sense of protectiveness rose in him, the look of defiance in
her eyes flashing before his mind as he faced her the first time. She could
not be over 18 winters, but those eyes spoke of unfathomable depth and wisdom,
eyes that had seen too much for their young age. A great tragedy must have
happened to her to allow this change. He remembered when he had kissed her. She
had unconsciously passionately returned his kiss, yet had tried at the same
time to push him away. But he had felt that it wasn't solely him; she had stared
at his King and Soldiers with the same look of mistrust she had used on him.
He silently vowed to find what had put her off men so badly, and swore to
to unspeakable horrors to the one who had been responsible for this.
Kunzite sighed, his mind returning from its little wayward thoughts,
back to the problem on hand. Did he love her? Did he want to spend the rest
of his life with her as Zoicite had said when Nephrite had asked him about
his feelings toward the blue-haired healer girl? A feeling of horror rose in
him. To be permanently attached to a woman? Creatures he deemed that were the
worst to ever set foot upon his planet? Forget about it! He did not love her,
and would certainly never marry her! Satisfied as having arrived at the
favorable conclusion, he rose out of the bath, ruthlessly silencing the little
voice in his head that asked him why the words he had spoken to his King had
rolled so easily of his tongue, as if he had been destined to speak them?
*************************************
Minako glanced down at her outfit, a little surprised to be dressed
like this. Instead of sticking her into a stuffy gown with enough silk
and lace to cloth an entire planet, she was dressed in a long-sleeved dark
blue shirt and tight pants of the same color, complete with white gloves,
black boots, and gold buttons. Her red bow was taken out off her hair,
and Narumino had braided her golden mane into a tight braid which was resting
heavily on her shoulder. She glanced at herself in the mirror, noticing
with curiosity that her clothes were remarkably similar to the Dark Lord's.
Shaking her head, she pushed that thought out off her mind, and Tomoko led
her to a side door, reminding her not to say anything unless the King asked
her, before disappearing.
Minako took a deep breath, composing herself as she opened the door.
The Dark King and his Generals were sitting motionless at a table decked
in soft green, and she saw that a young girl in the same uniform as hers was
occupying the chair next to the auburn-haired general, Nephrite. The girl
was surprisingly tall, with striking features and blazing emerald eyes which
were currently glaring at Minako with mistrust. Her long red hair was tied
back in a high ponytail, a wayward curl framing her face. A curved saber
rested gently at her thigh. Minako bit her cheek to keep herself from
smiling, amused that these people even carried weapons with them during
dinner. She watched the red-head's scowl darken a little, obviously
noticing the hint of a smile.
Kunzite motioned to her, pointing to an empty chair on his right.
She hesitated for a moment, but took the offered seat anyway. As soon as
she sat down, King Endymion rose up, holding out a hand to silence everyone.
When it was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop, he began to talk.
"Princess Minako Aino, daughter of Phyathreron III and Andromeda VI,
niece of King Ithias, and grandchild of the Goddess Venus herself. You have
been chosen, due to your unequalled background in combat, as joint fourth
commander with Lady Makoto Kino."
He indicated the red-head, who seemed surprised.
"As joint fourth commander, you will be in charge of one sixth
of my land army. Another part of your duties will be to train the men
in combat with a sword and stealth, as well as planning battle strategies
with Lord Kunzite. You will take your orders directly from me and and Lord
Kunzite, but no one else, unless I appoint someone to speak for me. For
reasons of safety, you may make your own decisions in an emergency. Do
you accept?"
Minako bit her lip. According to royal protocol, it would be
rude not to accept, but she found the idea of serving the Dark King
distasteful, not to mention she hated to think of anyone going through
the pain she had when Kunzite had snatched her away.
"what am I expected to do when there is a war between you and
my Uncle? Honor demands faithfulness and loyalty to one's liege, but
I'd rather die than fight against my own people."
Endymion almost smiled, pleased at her response of her sense
of honor, quite certain that she would not betray him if she chose to
accept his offer.
"You, like everyone else here, is commanded to stay away from the
war in such a situation. You may neither help or hinder either side."
"But what about my friend Rei? She is, after all, daughter of my
uncle's closest advisor, Duke Thesues. As a noble-born lady, she has the
right to be ransomed."
Endymion exchanged a furtive look with Jadeite.
"She will have to stay with you. She's in the kitchen right now. If
you chose to accept my proposition as a general, we'll transfer her to your
services first thing tomorrow morning."
"What if my parents choose to ransom me?"
"We don't accept ransoms. You've been given to Kunzite, and the only
way we will release you if he himself willingly gives you back to your Parents,
or if they defeat us in a war."
Minako sat silently for a few moments, her mind churning as she
weighted her chances. Whether she accepted or not, there would be a war
if she ever hoped to return home. And the Dark Lord, she knew, would not
give her back to her family unless forced to do so any more than Endymion
would name her his heir. She might as well make life more comfortable for
herself and Rei.
Standing up resolutely, she walked toward Endymion and kneeled before
him.
"I accept your proposition and shall serve my monarch faithfully and
well."
Endymion pulled out his sword and tapped her head once.
"You may rise, General Topaz."
Minako stood up, her brow furrowed.
"Topaz?"
Nephrite spoke up, slightly amused.
"You may have noticed that we're all named after precious stones.
That's no coincidence. Dear Makoto here is known to her soldiers as
Emerald, or just simply Cook."
"Cook?"
"Emerald is the culinary master. No one can beat her. I swear I
gained twenty pounds and zero inches in the three years she has prepared
the meals for me."
Emerald muttered under her breath a sentence that sounded remarkably
like
"Discipline is a virtue you desperately need to learn."
Dinner went by quickly, and Minako's spirits rose as she watched
the verbal ping-pong battles that ensued between the Generals and their
King. Maybe these people weren't as bad as rival kingdoms made them out
to be. After everyone finished their meal, a petite blue-haired girl
slipped into the kitchen, standing next to Zoicite. She was shorter than
Minako, but her cerulean eyes spoke of unmatched intelligence. She was
dressed in flowing blue robes, but seemed to fit in quite nicely with the
generals, especially friendly with Emerald and Zoicite. Endymion rose again.
"Welcome, General Topaz. It is time to meet your future companions."
He started introductions, and each general rose as their name was
called.
"General Kunzite, First commander of my royal army, excelling in sword
fighting. General Nephrite, Second commander of my royal army, archery master of
my kingdom. General Jadeite, joint third commander, a master of illusions and spells.
General Zoicite, joint third commander and the brain amidst the Generals. General
Emerald, joint fourth commander, a master of speed, more ruthless than myself. Lastly,
Ami Mizuno. She is not a General, but the healer for the palace and the army, so
you'll be seeing a lot more of her later. After your friend, Lady Rei, has been
transferred to your services, she, like Lady Ami, will be most of the time with us,
due to Jadeite's request. From General Zoicite's report, I gather she also has some
background in combat, correct?"
Minako nodded her head mutely.
"After breakfast, both of you will be led to my personal weaponry, and
you may pick out what you like. Lady Rei will be made your second-in-command. Then,
Lord Kunzite will show you the men you are to train."
Minako bowed respectfully to her new master, and allowed Kunzite to lead her
out of the room. She shot one look back as she felt something pulling at her, but
quickly brushed it from her mind as it left as quickly as it came, believing it to
be a part of her confused imagination.
***********************************************
Minako stared around Kunzite's spacious bedroom, hardly registering the
fact that she was dressed in nothing more than a flimsy nightgown which hardly
did anything to cover the curves. He had led her to the bathroom, pointed to the
gown, and told her to change before they would "get started", whatever that meant.
She shifted anxiously on her feet, waiting for him to return. The door
opening behind her caused her to whirl around, before hastily dropping her eyes
to the ground, blushing furiously: he was topless. A glimpse of his muscular chest
had given her a vague yet appealing idea of what the rest of his body would look
like. She turned, hardly daring to breathe at she felt his warm breath of the back
of neck. Her heart was racing at at least 150 pulses a minute (A.N. not such an
unrealistic number), fear and excitement running through her veins.
"Let's get started."
He pointed to the bed.
"Lie down on your stomach."
She turned to face him, unable to keep her fear out of her eyes this time,
though she was desperately trying to conjure up her normal mask of indifference.
****************************************************
Yeh, another cliffhanger! What is Kunzite about to do to Minako? If
you've one of THOSE people, the only thing I gotta say is "Get your mind out
of the gutter!" This is rated PG-13, not R (though it might go up, it definitely
won't be the next chapter! You don't sleep with someone you've only known for a
day!) for a reason. Please review. *smiles angelically*
Chapter Three
Swirls of Light and Darkness
________________
Third part of Lord of Darkness.
To usagirl: Yes, there will be other senshi involvement, all inners.
Rei makes a reappearance in Chapter 4, Makoto shows up in this Chapter,
and Ami will also appear in Chapter 3. Serenity will come in
somewhere about Chapter 5 or 6, maybe earlier if I get at least ten
requests.
To Misa Doychilla: Huh, I really like your idea, but I was thinking
of Serenity being Endymion's older sister, with the pairings
Endymion/Setsuna and Serenity/Demando. Somehow I can't image
Endymion and Serenity being married; they'd probably kill each
other or talk themselves mad. But maybe I'll change my original
idea if I get enough requests.
I didn't make up the Sailor Senshis, yada yada yada.
I need another editor. If you have the time and would
like to help me, please e-mail me at katrina91362@yahoo.com.
It can never hurt to have more than one editor (oh, and
by the way, _I_ decide whether you're qualified or not, not
_You_.) Probation time is three months. And if you start your
e-mail with any pompous statements like "I'm the best editor
in the world and you'd be fool to pick anybody else ...",
you're automatically out.
Another thank-you to Ari-chan, for proofreading this one
(She must be drowning under all the reading I'm having her
do).
A little clarification for the story:
The difference between a mistress and a sex slave is that
a mistress may refuse to sleep with the man, and is fully
entitled to her rights of holding property and others like
it. But a sex slave is like a whore who sleeps with the man
for free. She is reliable to get whipped, beaten, even killed
if she displeases the master. She has no right to say no,
no right to refuse the man any service he might demand in
relation to his bodily pleasure.
// - flashbacks
________________
Lord of Darkness
Chapter Three
Swirls of Light and Darkness
________________
Previous:
***************
After walking numerous winding stairs that made Minako
dizzy just thinking about them, the guards opened a wide marble
door embedded with the sign of the golden phoenix. They ushered
her inside and Minako let out a gasp, words like lovely springing
immediately into her mind.
***************
The entire room was decorated in gold, cream, and crystal,
the colors reflecting the brilliant sky, almost like living in
the sunlight. Minako immediately fell in love with the room
(though not the owner of it). A connecting door led to a clean
privy decked in marble-tiles. Framed pictures of the most unusual
settings were scattered around the room. She edged a bit closer
to one, an image of a lean leopard in full run, his eyes staring
straight ahead, his paws not even touching the ground. She stared
at it hard, surprised to almost feel the hot desert heat, the
lust of hunt, and the breeze. She felt connected to it, falling
deeper and deeper into the meaning of picture. Rudely tearing herself
away, she continued to inspect the room. Expensive furniture were
tastefully scattered across the room, and a large wardrobe spanned across
an entire side of the wall. She wondered briefly just how many sets
of clothing it held. But what caught her attention longest
was the huge redwood bed in the center of the room, adorned with
black satin sheet and blood-red pillows. It was like a piece of hell-fire
amidst the angels, and her brain comprehended that she would be more
than just a mistress; she was to be his sex slave.
Minako felt her whole body go rigid. There was no way
that she would let him use her like this or even own her body,
for that would be one step closer to her soul, something she'd
vowed to have all to herself. A gentle click indicated that the
guards had left, locking the door behind them. Her eyes swept over
the room, her agile mind searching for a escape route and
sorting through matters of her heart at the same time. She
admitted bluntly to herself that should Kunzite wish to take
her, she would gladly go to him, unless he restrained himself.
She would willingly let herself follow wherever he should lead;
whatever he'd want, she would gladly give.
Windows and doors were carefully checked with a single
glance, and she could immediately tell that they were all
locked by at least two different locks, and some were also magically
locked. Others shimmered blue and green, and Minako recognized the
spell protecting the locks from being picked.
She furrowed her brow, having seized her dilemma up in
less than five seconds. She could not escape now. There were too
many guards, maids, servants, not to mention the Dark Lord and his
king and friends. They'd probably slaughter her before she even
reached the palace doors. Minako shuddered slightly as a mental
picture of herself beaten, bruised, covered with numerous dripping
wounds and countless whiplashes, staggering across the grounds, her
clothes in tatters, flashed across her mind's eye. She'd have to
wait for the cover of the darkness. She thought of Rei, and what
the raven-haired girl would do in this situation. A shadow of a
smile flashed across her lips. Rei would rant and scream and yell,
scaring off anybody who'd dare to come within a hundred feet
radius of her. She'd furiously deny the way she'd felt, condemning
the Dark Lord as the vilest creature ever walking the earth, and
burn him alive if he ever tried to take her. Minako smiled fondly,
shaking her head: that girl had a temper that would put the flames
of hell to shame.
She took a step towards the privy, where she suspected the
bath was, but immediately whirled when the door behind her creaked
open, expecting the guards. Instead, it was two young women dressed
in amber-and orange-colored clothing, each with a bracelet of a
golden and silver phoenix. She watched them curiously, surprised as
they bowed.
"Miss, we're here by the order of Lord Kunzite to prepare
you for dinner tonight."
The two women said together, bowing again. The petite
brunette with a short ponytail and keen grey eyes stepped forward,
one glance surveying Minako.
"I am Tomoko Kimoru, ready to serve my Lady."
The other woman was a pretty red-head with liquid brown
eyes that gazed at the Princess curiously.
"And I am Narumino Miko, ready to do your will."
Minako hurried forward, uncomfortable with people addressing
her like this.
"Please, stand up."
The two women exchanged a bewildered look, before standing up.
Minako stared at them, silently. Both of them were exceptionally
sweet and trusting, judging by their outward appearance, but from
the look in their eyes when they had greeted her, both women were
far from being innocent about the 'real' world. If she ever hoped
to leave this place alive, she'd had to know what had be going on, and
the best source of information she had at the moment would be the
maids.
"Would you be so kind to help me bath?"
Tomoko walked forward to lead Minako to the bathroom, and Narumino
took a step toward the closet, when a loud, high-pitched voice made both of
the maids wince and Minako jump.
"Tomoko, Narumino, where the hell is the tea? And isn't Lord Kunzite
supposed to be... Who is she?"
Minako slowly turned to see a woman standing on the doorstep of one
of the doors that led out of this room. The woman was voluptuous and with
gleaming chestnut hair and ice blue eyes. The Princess watched the woman's
mouth turn up into a one-sided smirk.
"Well, well. I suppose you're his new slave, huh? Let me warn you,
little girl, he likes to play rough. If you don't satisfy him..."
Narumino interrupted her, her big liquid eyes brimming with loathing
and also a slight touch of fear, but her voice was cold.
"I believe Lord Kunzite send a message yesterday to you to leave his
room, Lady Cordalia?"
The woman shot the maid a murderous look, anger clearly in her face. She
walked briskly toward Narumino, her hand raised.
"Why you little slut..."
Her hand flew toward Narumino like a striking serpent, but Minako turned,
and caught her wrist a millimeter from Narumino's cheek. Lady Cordalia turned to
her, an expression of pure hatred painted on her lovely face. The two maids watched
this exchange with baited breath as Minako and Cordalia had a quick duel of wills.
Minako tightened her grip on the other lady's wrist, knowing that if she pressed
any harder, the bone would break. Lady Cordalia bit her lip, stopping herself from
crying out. The main door opening broke their contact, and Minako turned to see the
blond-haired general from before in the door. She tensed her body, vividly recalling
the image of him hitting Rei. He, however, ignored her, choosing to address Cordalia
instead.
"Lady Cordalia, Lord Kunzite has already transported most of your belongings
to the Eagle Wing, number 76. You're to stay there from now on, unless he desires
your presence."
Minako noted with interest the color draining from the woman's face, but
quickly clapped her hands over her ears as panic filled Cordalia's voice, giving
it an unnatural pitch as she started shrieking.
"You cannot do that, you simply cannot to that! I'm his hand-picked
favorite mistress! You can't put me in the same place with all those common
whores!"
Despite Minako's best attempts in shutting out the shouting woman's
voice, she could hear every word, and understood that the Eagle Wing
contained, among other things, a place for Kunzite's past mistresses.
Jadeite rolled his eyes heavenward, and yelled in a voice even louder than
Cordalia's.
"Guards!"
Three guards in white and silver uniforms rushed into the room, and
forcibly removed Cordalia's presence, and the remaining four people in the
room breathed a sigh of relief. Jadeite tipped his head in greeting, then
calmly shut the door as if this was as normal as asking a servant to remove
a piece of furniture from the room. Minako smiled darkly. This was what she
was to be, wasn't a it? A toy for the Dark Lord. She turned to Narumino, shaking
herself out of her black musings.
"Miss, did she hurt you?"
The red-head looked utterly shocked at being addressed like this, and
a look of awe seemed to be permanently etched on her face.
"No, my lady. Thank you for helping me. That old witch has slapped me
and Tomoko often just for the spite of it."
The other girl's voice ran sharply across the room.
"Narumino! You shouldn't speak of your Lord's favorite mistress like
that! Even if you don't like her, be more civil to her for Lord Kunzite's sake.
Don't forget, he protected you from being raped at the age of 14. You've served
him for five years, yet you still don't know how to keep a leash on your tongue."
Minako quickly tried to pacify Tomoko, reminding them that she still
needed to bath. The two women lead her to the filled bathtub, and a colorful
variety of stories of events inside these walls poured onto Minako's attentive
ear as Tomoko and Narumino chattered.
***********************************
Kunzite leaned back, letting the warm water wash over him, as he
replayed the earlier scene with his King over and over in his mind.
//
"I love her. If my King would allow, I would wish to marry her."
//
Did he really love her? Was there enough humanity left in him to
love anyone? Admiration, lust, he was familiar with those emotions, but
love? He shook his head, trying to analyze each feeling separately. Minako
was, doubtlessly, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, a true child
of Venus. A sense of protectiveness rose in him, the look of defiance in
her eyes flashing before his mind as he faced her the first time. She could
not be over 18 winters, but those eyes spoke of unfathomable depth and wisdom,
eyes that had seen too much for their young age. A great tragedy must have
happened to her to allow this change. He remembered when he had kissed her. She
had unconsciously passionately returned his kiss, yet had tried at the same
time to push him away. But he had felt that it wasn't solely him; she had stared
at his King and Soldiers with the same look of mistrust she had used on him.
He silently vowed to find what had put her off men so badly, and swore to
to unspeakable horrors to the one who had been responsible for this.
Kunzite sighed, his mind returning from its little wayward thoughts,
back to the problem on hand. Did he love her? Did he want to spend the rest
of his life with her as Zoicite had said when Nephrite had asked him about
his feelings toward the blue-haired healer girl? A feeling of horror rose in
him. To be permanently attached to a woman? Creatures he deemed that were the
worst to ever set foot upon his planet? Forget about it! He did not love her,
and would certainly never marry her! Satisfied as having arrived at the
favorable conclusion, he rose out of the bath, ruthlessly silencing the little
voice in his head that asked him why the words he had spoken to his King had
rolled so easily of his tongue, as if he had been destined to speak them?
*************************************
Minako glanced down at her outfit, a little surprised to be dressed
like this. Instead of sticking her into a stuffy gown with enough silk
and lace to cloth an entire planet, she was dressed in a long-sleeved dark
blue shirt and tight pants of the same color, complete with white gloves,
black boots, and gold buttons. Her red bow was taken out off her hair,
and Narumino had braided her golden mane into a tight braid which was resting
heavily on her shoulder. She glanced at herself in the mirror, noticing
with curiosity that her clothes were remarkably similar to the Dark Lord's.
Shaking her head, she pushed that thought out off her mind, and Tomoko led
her to a side door, reminding her not to say anything unless the King asked
her, before disappearing.
Minako took a deep breath, composing herself as she opened the door.
The Dark King and his Generals were sitting motionless at a table decked
in soft green, and she saw that a young girl in the same uniform as hers was
occupying the chair next to the auburn-haired general, Nephrite. The girl
was surprisingly tall, with striking features and blazing emerald eyes which
were currently glaring at Minako with mistrust. Her long red hair was tied
back in a high ponytail, a wayward curl framing her face. A curved saber
rested gently at her thigh. Minako bit her cheek to keep herself from
smiling, amused that these people even carried weapons with them during
dinner. She watched the red-head's scowl darken a little, obviously
noticing the hint of a smile.
Kunzite motioned to her, pointing to an empty chair on his right.
She hesitated for a moment, but took the offered seat anyway. As soon as
she sat down, King Endymion rose up, holding out a hand to silence everyone.
When it was so quiet that one could have heard a pin drop, he began to talk.
"Princess Minako Aino, daughter of Phyathreron III and Andromeda VI,
niece of King Ithias, and grandchild of the Goddess Venus herself. You have
been chosen, due to your unequalled background in combat, as joint fourth
commander with Lady Makoto Kino."
He indicated the red-head, who seemed surprised.
"As joint fourth commander, you will be in charge of one sixth
of my land army. Another part of your duties will be to train the men
in combat with a sword and stealth, as well as planning battle strategies
with Lord Kunzite. You will take your orders directly from me and and Lord
Kunzite, but no one else, unless I appoint someone to speak for me. For
reasons of safety, you may make your own decisions in an emergency. Do
you accept?"
Minako bit her lip. According to royal protocol, it would be
rude not to accept, but she found the idea of serving the Dark King
distasteful, not to mention she hated to think of anyone going through
the pain she had when Kunzite had snatched her away.
"what am I expected to do when there is a war between you and
my Uncle? Honor demands faithfulness and loyalty to one's liege, but
I'd rather die than fight against my own people."
Endymion almost smiled, pleased at her response of her sense
of honor, quite certain that she would not betray him if she chose to
accept his offer.
"You, like everyone else here, is commanded to stay away from the
war in such a situation. You may neither help or hinder either side."
"But what about my friend Rei? She is, after all, daughter of my
uncle's closest advisor, Duke Thesues. As a noble-born lady, she has the
right to be ransomed."
Endymion exchanged a furtive look with Jadeite.
"She will have to stay with you. She's in the kitchen right now. If
you chose to accept my proposition as a general, we'll transfer her to your
services first thing tomorrow morning."
"What if my parents choose to ransom me?"
"We don't accept ransoms. You've been given to Kunzite, and the only
way we will release you if he himself willingly gives you back to your Parents,
or if they defeat us in a war."
Minako sat silently for a few moments, her mind churning as she
weighted her chances. Whether she accepted or not, there would be a war
if she ever hoped to return home. And the Dark Lord, she knew, would not
give her back to her family unless forced to do so any more than Endymion
would name her his heir. She might as well make life more comfortable for
herself and Rei.
Standing up resolutely, she walked toward Endymion and kneeled before
him.
"I accept your proposition and shall serve my monarch faithfully and
well."
Endymion pulled out his sword and tapped her head once.
"You may rise, General Topaz."
Minako stood up, her brow furrowed.
"Topaz?"
Nephrite spoke up, slightly amused.
"You may have noticed that we're all named after precious stones.
That's no coincidence. Dear Makoto here is known to her soldiers as
Emerald, or just simply Cook."
"Cook?"
"Emerald is the culinary master. No one can beat her. I swear I
gained twenty pounds and zero inches in the three years she has prepared
the meals for me."
Emerald muttered under her breath a sentence that sounded remarkably
like
"Discipline is a virtue you desperately need to learn."
Dinner went by quickly, and Minako's spirits rose as she watched
the verbal ping-pong battles that ensued between the Generals and their
King. Maybe these people weren't as bad as rival kingdoms made them out
to be. After everyone finished their meal, a petite blue-haired girl
slipped into the kitchen, standing next to Zoicite. She was shorter than
Minako, but her cerulean eyes spoke of unmatched intelligence. She was
dressed in flowing blue robes, but seemed to fit in quite nicely with the
generals, especially friendly with Emerald and Zoicite. Endymion rose again.
"Welcome, General Topaz. It is time to meet your future companions."
He started introductions, and each general rose as their name was
called.
"General Kunzite, First commander of my royal army, excelling in sword
fighting. General Nephrite, Second commander of my royal army, archery master of
my kingdom. General Jadeite, joint third commander, a master of illusions and spells.
General Zoicite, joint third commander and the brain amidst the Generals. General
Emerald, joint fourth commander, a master of speed, more ruthless than myself. Lastly,
Ami Mizuno. She is not a General, but the healer for the palace and the army, so
you'll be seeing a lot more of her later. After your friend, Lady Rei, has been
transferred to your services, she, like Lady Ami, will be most of the time with us,
due to Jadeite's request. From General Zoicite's report, I gather she also has some
background in combat, correct?"
Minako nodded her head mutely.
"After breakfast, both of you will be led to my personal weaponry, and
you may pick out what you like. Lady Rei will be made your second-in-command. Then,
Lord Kunzite will show you the men you are to train."
Minako bowed respectfully to her new master, and allowed Kunzite to lead her
out of the room. She shot one look back as she felt something pulling at her, but
quickly brushed it from her mind as it left as quickly as it came, believing it to
be a part of her confused imagination.
***********************************************
Minako stared around Kunzite's spacious bedroom, hardly registering the
fact that she was dressed in nothing more than a flimsy nightgown which hardly
did anything to cover the curves. He had led her to the bathroom, pointed to the
gown, and told her to change before they would "get started", whatever that meant.
She shifted anxiously on her feet, waiting for him to return. The door
opening behind her caused her to whirl around, before hastily dropping her eyes
to the ground, blushing furiously: he was topless. A glimpse of his muscular chest
had given her a vague yet appealing idea of what the rest of his body would look
like. She turned, hardly daring to breathe at she felt his warm breath of the back
of neck. Her heart was racing at at least 150 pulses a minute (A.N. not such an
unrealistic number), fear and excitement running through her veins.
"Let's get started."
He pointed to the bed.
"Lie down on your stomach."
She turned to face him, unable to keep her fear out of her eyes this time,
though she was desperately trying to conjure up her normal mask of indifference.
****************************************************
Yeh, another cliffhanger! What is Kunzite about to do to Minako? If
you've one of THOSE people, the only thing I gotta say is "Get your mind out
of the gutter!" This is rated PG-13, not R (though it might go up, it definitely
won't be the next chapter! You don't sleep with someone you've only known for a
day!) for a reason. Please review. *smiles angelically*